The True Face of Unethical Humor

Following Chaucer’s description of the Miller in the General Prologue, The Miller’s Tale reveals that the Miller is more complex than his appearance initially suggests. Given its bawdy and humorous nature, the Miller’s story consists of events of “cuckoldry,” “foolishness,” and “secrets” (1720, 1718, and 1719). As the teller of such a tale, the Miller would immediately be classified as a crude man, interested only in the physical appeal of women. However, as the tale unfolds, it imparts the Miller’s unexpected empathy as he commiserates with Alison, who is trapped by the norms of society. The Miller’s story portrays not only the Miller’s expected vulgar and deceptive characteristics but also his surprisingly sympathetic nature.

In his attempt to surpass the Knight, the Miller sacrifices decorum for the sake of entertainment, demonstrating his coarse and rebellious nature. The bawdy imagery the Miller provides gradually becomes more descriptive as the tale progresses. For example, when first traveling with the Miller, Chaucer listens to the Miller bellow “his ballads and jokes of harlotries” and describes him as a “sow” (1712). These facts exemplify that the Miller is a person more of body than of mind. Moreover, Chaucer’s juxtaposition of the Knight’s noble tale and the Miller’s appalling tale confirms the Miller’s “low-born” thinking (1719). Verifying these expectations, the Miller’s tale features many scandalous scenes of the “so graceful and so slime” Alison, who cheats on her husband, John, with his student, Nicholas (1720). The Miller intentionally calls Nicholas “hendë,” a word which implies not only “ready to hand” but also a person who grasps women, since Nicholas “held [Alison] by the haunches,” an action which...

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...732). The Miller’s insight into Alison’s helpless situation surpasses the reader’s expectations, given his appearance in the General Prologue.

The drunken Miller tells his tale of obscenity, deception, and sympathy in his attempt to mock the Knight’s charming tale of courtly love. Each character in the tale embodies the Miller’s attributes. Nicholas and Absolom display traits of both deceit and lust, and although the Miller is a stereotypical low born thinker, his hidden sympathy for Alison reveals he is somewhat moral and insightful. The Miller’s helplessness can help explain his sympathy for Alison’s situation, for the Miller has to steal in order to survive just as Alison tricks John for her beloved. Contrary to the Miller’s outward appearance of a rough man, the Miller exhibits his humanizing quality of consideration through his characters and their fates.